In three separate convictions in cases of sexual crimes against children, a stepfather, a distant relative and an acquaintance from the victim’s neighbourhood have all got sentenced to ten-years-jail.
In the first case, special judge Jayshri Pulate sentenced the stepfather, who was 30 at the time of the incident. He had repeatedly raped his 15-year-old stepdaughter at night. He would allegedly threaten to kill her with a sickle too and also beat her as well as her mother. The victim revealed her ordeal to women in the neighbourhood, after which the Navghar police station was informed. Special Public Prosecutor Geeta Sharma said the victim and her mother both had turned hostile in court, but medical evidence of rape was available.
In another case of 2018 registered at Deonar police station, a 21-year-old the 13-year-old girl was acquainted with from her neighbourhood, offered her Rs 50 when she was on the way to a friend’s place. In the tempo by the side of the road he took her to, he had raped her and fled when she screamed out in pain. Judge MA Baraliya imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on the youth. Though the girl had turned hostile during the trial, prosecutor Sharma said that the DNA evidence of the semen found on her clothes helped nail him.
In the third case lodged at Malabar Hill police station, a distant paternal relative of the 15-year-old victim had raped her when on a visit to her home. Judge Bharti Kale imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the 24-year-old. Out of the amount, Rs. 20,000 would be paid to the victim as compensation, the court has ordered.
